Gambia: Gambia’s Teachers Union Says Jammeh’s Conduct Is A Recipe For Chaos And Disorder Which Undoubtedly Endangers The Lives Of All Gambians

The National Executive Committee of the Gambia Teachers Union (GTUNEC) and by extension, the Board of Directors of the GTU Co-operative Credit Union (GTUCCU), the Status of Women’s Executive Committee (GTUSWC), Conference of Principals of Senior Secondary and Upper Basic Schools and the Association of Heads of Lower Basic Schools are deeply concerned and dismayed with the December 9th 2016 retraction and “total rejection of the 2016 Election Results in its entirely” by Outgoing-President His Excellency Professor Dr. Alhagie Yahya AJJ Jammeh Babili Mansa after conceding defeat, congratulating the winner and promising to support the transition process on the 2nd December following the 2016 Presidential Election.

The position of the GTUNEC and its organs is that we reject the outgoing president’s subsequent pronouncement as it is not only inconsistent, but totally against the sovereign will of the Gambian people and contravenes the provisions of Section 49 of the 1997 Constitution of The Republic of The Gambia.

We are flabbergasted by how a few days earlier, the Independent Electoral Commission had had praises heaped on it by outgoing President for presiding over a “rig proof” electoral process, which he claimed to be the best in the world could now be branded as fraudulent and corrupt by the 9th of December.

The unfortunate decision by the outgoing President His Excellency Professor Dr. Alhagie Yahya AJJ Jammeh Babili Mansa to disregard his noble acceptance of defeat is a recipe for chaos and disorder which undoubtedly endangers the lives of all Gambians particularly, our children and threatens one of GTU’s cardinal principles of total commitment to the protection and welfare of children of the Gambia. Apart from the prospect of endangering the lives of our children his subsequent pronouncement could paralyse the education system of our country.

The Union wishes to add its voice to that of the Gambia Bar Association and others in respect of this subject and as such, the Leadership of the GTU and the entire teaching fraternity of the Gambia, pledge its firm allegiance to the President-Elect and call on outgoing-President His Excellency Professor Dr. Alhagie Yahya AJJ Jammeh Babili Mansa to reconsider his decision and respect the will of the people in the spirit of democracy and good governance.

We therefore urge outgoing President His Excellency Professor Dr. Alhagie Yahya AJJ Jammeh Babili Mansa to honourably accept the outcome of the December 1st 2016 Presidential Election as declared by the chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission and peacefully handover power.